Garment With Affixed Tourniquet

ABSTRACT

The invention provides an article of clothing having a tourniquet affixed to the clothing at one end of the tourniquet, the tourniquet comprising a band comprised of an elastic and flexible material, the band having a width and a length, a first end and a second end, and a first face and second face, where at least a portion of the first face comprises hook-type fastener means, and where the second face comprises loop-type fastener means.

PRIORITY

This invention is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/940,242, filed Nov. 14, 2007, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/901,715, filed Feb. 13, 2007, and a continuation-in-part of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/875,087, filed Dec. 13, 2006, the full disclosure of each of which applications are incorporated herein in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention describes a versatile trauma tourniquet with features permitting ease of application in the field, by incorporation into critical locations on a battle dress uniform or other clothing.

2. Description of Related Art

Wartime trauma from exploding devices and gunshot wounds results in a high incidence of life and limb-threatening injuries. Exsanguination from peripheral vascular injury is the primary preventable cause of death in field trauma, and has been well documented in literature regarding current war trauma.

Blood loss from non-fatal injuries to arms and legs also can contribute to morbidity to kidneys, liver and other vital organs due to hypotension. The loss of significant amounts of blood also increases the rate of consumption of blood products from the blood bank. Multiple extremity wounds can also complicate triage.

It is axiomatic that in combat, there is a “platinum 5 minutes” for major vascular injury. Even with quick triage, it often takes hours to transport casualties off the battlefield, and even if the distance is small, the hazardous nature of the forward combat areas frequently prevents medical personnel from quickly reaching the wounded. Hence the need for individual soldiers to have a readily available tourniquet that is safe and effective.

Thus, despite the advances in modern medical care for the battlefield, control of blood loss is the one immediate treatment that can be applied to or by an injured soldier to decrease the chance of organ injury, limb loss and death due to hemorrhage. A critical immediate danger is always focal vascular injury and uncontrolled hemorrhage.

Despite long-established use in the medical field, the need for new tourniquet technology is readily acknowledged. Hemorrhage from extremity wounds is the leading cause of preventable death on the battlefield, and tourniquets are the most viable option for controlling life-threatening extremity hemorrhage in the tactical phase of an operation. The evolution of tourniquet technology has been a marked response to the realities of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Tourniquet designs are varied. One recent patent, U.S. Pat. No. 6,189,538, describes a non-pneumatic tourniquet for use in treating deep vein thrombosis that includes a band having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end and second end have a structure for adjustably connecting to one another, shown as hook and loop-type fasteners, and an adjustable disc made of a substantially hard, non-compressible material connected to the band. Provided is a method of treating deep vein thrombosis in which the thrombus cannot be easily treated using a catheter.

United States Patent Application No. 2007/0005107 is directed to a military emergency tourniquet, described as a tourniquet for rapidly and easily reducing or stopping blood flow to a limb. The tourniquet utilizes a hook and loop system and includes a twistable strap, a base including two opposing entry apertures and an exit aperture, a windlass and at least one receiving loop.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,338, provides a pressure applying device which prevents bleeding through needle puncture wounds by applying pressure to the wound through an elastomeric appliance having a blunt skin abutting surface held in place over the wound by securing straps. The pressure applied by the device is sufficient only to prevent bleeding through the wound and does not impede the subsurface flow of blood.

The most commonly used tourniquet, however, is still a length of surgical tubing or penrose drain, the tourniquet used in phlebotomy. However, such tubing does not function well for greater than 1-2 minutes because of the pain.

A continuing problem in the field, then, is the need for rapid and safe protection for the soldier for injuries to the extremities. Vascular injury alone can result in amputations from blood loss and resulting ischemic muscle. The existing tourniquets available to the combat infantryman, as well as medical personnel, vary in degree of mechanical/clinical failure, often due to complicated and time consuming application. In addition, certain designs are painful, either inadequately or too adequately diminish blood-flow, or are too bulky for routine field use.

Ease of use and effectiveness of the application are critical to saving lives and limbs during those platinum 5 minutes, yet according to the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, current technology has reportedly fostered misapplications, intolerable pinching and skin/tissue damage, and has yet to take effective control of leg injuries. Studies have shown that tourniquet failure has revolved around several issues: 1) inadequate mechanical advantage for tightening, 2) device failure (i.e., breakage), and 3) intolerable pinching or circumferential pain prior to pulse elimination. While one-handed tourniquet technologies have even been able to minimize blood flow in the arm to some extent, no one-handed technology has been found to be successful in easily and reliably decreasing blood flow to the lower extremity.

In April 2007, a comparative report from The Naval Sea Systems Command was released to the public. This comprehensive review of available field tourniquets compares 13 designs from 12 manufacturers. The comparison was conducted under rigorous clinical standards, and the comments from failed applications provide great insight into the application realities of tourniquet designs. They also demonstrated the need for versatility and immediate availability of a simple, strong and effective tourniquet in the field.

There remains, then, a need for a life and limb saving tourniquet, for military use and other use that can overcome the obstacles of current technology.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides an article of clothing, or garment, having a tourniquet affixed to the garment, the tourniquet comprising a band of an elastic and flexible material, the band having a width and a length, a first end and a second end, and a first face and second face, where the first end is attached to the garment and at least a portion of the first face comprises hook-type fastener means, and the second face comprises loop-type fastener means. The tourniquet is lightweight, simple and fast to apply, and effective. In one aspect, the garment can be a battle dress uniform, to make a tourniquet immediately availability to soldiers in battle.

The tourniquet will be affixed to the garment at a region corresponding to any desired region of an appendage, such as the sleeve or pant leg.

In one embodiment, one or more movable discs, secured to the loop side of the tourniquet with hook-type fastener, can be situated to apply focal pressure to a selected location(s) of hemorrhage or sub-surface blood flow.

The garment will be typically provided with sewn-in guide means for holding the tourniquet in encircling position at a desired location around the appendage in its normal, or un-deployed first position. The tourniquet passes through the guide means, which may be a fabric tunnel attached inside the garment, loops, such as belt loops attached inside the garment, or other similar means known for guiding and maintaining encircling material in the garment.

The tourniquet may be affixed such that it encircles an appendage by being extended medially, whereby the first end is pulled post-laterally and secured over the anterior aspect of the appendage. Alternatively, the tourniquet can be affixed such that the tourniquet encircles an appendage by being extended laterally such that the first end is pulled posterio-medially and secured over the anterior aspect of the appendage.

In application, the invention further provides a method for impeding blood flow to an appendage by applying a tourniquet of the garment of the invention, the method comprising extending the first end from the first position to a second position, the second position providing tightening of the tourniquet about the appendage sufficient to control hemorrhage and/or at least partially decrease blood to the appendage, and bringing the hook-type fastener material of the first face into contact with the loop-type fastener means of the second face to secure the tourniquet in the second position.

Through the method, the blood flow may be decreased significantly, by about 50, 60 or 70 percent, or more, as assessed by Doppler flow measurement. The blood flow decrease can also be assessed by distal pulse.

These and other features and advantages of this invention are described in, or are apparent from, the following detailed description of various exemplary embodiments of the apparatus and methods according to this invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a view of an article of clothing of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a view of the garment of FIG. 1, with a flap exposed showing the tourniquet.

FIG. 3 is an expanded view of the cover-flap of the garment of FIG. 2, demonstrating the presentation of the tourniquet in normal use.

FIG. 4 is an inverted or inside view of an embodiment of the garment showing securement of the tourniquet within the garment.

FIG. 5 is an alternate embodiment of the garment, showing a different mechanism of securement of the tourniquet within the garment.

FIG. 6 shows a different garment of the invention.

FIG. 7 shows a view of the garment embodiment of FIG. 6, with a flap lifted to expose the tourniquet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The products and methods of the present invention provide a versatile tourniquet that can be used in the field by military personnel, by police or emergency personnel, or in the clinical setting by medical personnel, even civilian applications, such as outdoor attire.

In this description, by the term reversible fastening means is meant any means, such as loop and hook-type fastener material, that allows secure fastening of the tourniquet components, but that can be simply and manually reversibly detached.

By tourniquet is meant any means for impeding blood flow to an appendage by compressing a vessel or series of vessels by applying a strap, tube or other means at a region to decrease blood flow to tissue beyond that region.

Looking to FIG. 1, there is provided an article of clothing, or garment 1, which can be of any type, fabric or construction. It is contemplated that the garment 1 will most commonly be a uniform of police, emergency, security or military personnel, as one example the battle dress uniform of the United States Armed Forces personnel. In FIG. 1, the garment 1 is a pair of pants.

In reference to FIG. 2, it is seen that a tourniquet 2 is affixed to the clothing 1, the tourniquet comprising a band 4 of an elastic and flexible material, the band having a width and a length, a first end 6 which is free, and a second end 8, attached to the clothing. The tourniquet also has a first face 10 and second face 12, the faces 10 and 12 being supplied with cooperative reversible fastener means, such as a hook and loop-type fastener means, or material. As shown, at least a portion of the first face 10 comprises hook-type fastener material, and the second face 12 comprises loop-type fastener means, though these positions may be reversed.

The width of the band 4 is desirably on the order of about 1 to about 5 inches, or more, the main limitation being that it not be too bulky in forming an integrated part of the garment. Fabric thickness can vary, depending on the materials, but is on the order of about 1/12 inch, down to about 1/16 inch or less, for an appropriate fabric having the strength and elasticity for the overall comfort and blood flow restriction requirements of the tourniquet 2.

The length of the tourniquet 2 may vary. Where the limb or appendage under the clothing is the upper extremity, desirable tourniquet dimensions are from a minimum of about 22 inches up to about 36 inches, or more, as required for the general size and dimensions of the target population.

For the lower extremity, the minimum dimensions may range between about 30 inches minimum to a maximum of about 42 inches, or more, again, as required for the general size and dimensions of the target population.

Larger and smaller sizes may be necessitated, depending on the size of the garment and the intended populace. For example, a child sized version of the garment 1 could be provided with smaller tourniquet 2 dimensions configured to be appropriate for children.

Again in reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, at least a portion of the second face comprises the loop-type fastener means, such as loop-fastener material 14 and at least a portion of the first face comprises hook-type fastener means, such as hook-fastener material 16. The hook-type fastener is present at the first end 6, and such other portions of the band so as to provide regular sites for attachment when the tourniquet 2 is moved from the resting position to a position for decreasing blood flow to the rest of the appendage. The hook-type fastener material portions on the first face 10 can vary in size, from a minimum of about 2 inches up to about 9 inches or longer, and can be secured by any conventional means known to the art, such as by being machine stitched to the first face 10 of the band 4 at designated intervals.

Similarly, the second face 12 is supplied with loop-type fastener, which can be provided along the entire length of the band 4, though it may be sufficient to supply loop-type fastener material only at the second end 8 where the band 4 attaches to the clothing.

The quality of the reversible fastener system employed should be such that the first face 10 of the tourniquet 2 strongly adheres to the second face 12. The fastener sections can also be applied by stapling or gluing, or the like, to the band 4.

A pull tab 26 can be supplied at the first end 6 of the tourniquet 2.

FIGS. 6 and 7 shows an alternative embodiment to the clothing 1 of FIGS. 1 and 2, where the clothing 1 a is a shirt rather than pants. The tourniquet is intended to be incorporated directly into the pants/shirt of a uniform. It is light-weight, not bulky and may easily store in a provided region in the garment, and. provides an immediately available tourniquet that is simple for self-deployment or one-hand activation and release, with no false or failed deployment or release.

The construction of the tourniquet 2 in the clothing 1 is shown as being similar in the sleeve (FIGS. 6 and 7) and the leg (FIGS. 1 through 5) versions, with a similar orientation for the direction of the tourniquet 2 with respect to the limb. The tourniquet 2 can be affixed to the clothing 1 so that it encircles the appendage medially, whereby the first end is pulled posterio-laterally and secured over the anterior aspect of the appendage. Alternatively, the tourniquet 2 can be affixed such that the tourniquet 2 encircles the arm by being extended laterally, such that the first end is initially pulled posterio-medially to wrap around the appendage, and secured over the anterior aspect of the appendage by pulling the free end around the outside of the appendage and medially.

As seen in reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, when sewn in the arm region of the clothing 1, the orientation of the tourniquet 2 is such that the tightened apparatus will compress the brachial artery just below the axilla, high on the upper arm. The tourniquet 2 is sewn to the uniform above the arm pocket between the lapel and the upper arm sleeve seam. It is seen that the arm tourniquet will lift near the front-outside of the arm and stretch up and wrap towards the chest and under the arm and then attached on the front side.

In FIG. 2, it is seen that for the pant leg, the orientation of the tourniquet 2 is such that the tightened tourniquet 2 will compress the femoral artery in the upper thigh. It may be preferable to have a leg tourniquet lift and stretch from the inner thigh aspect and wrap towards the outside of the leg, then around to the back side and through the crotch and attach on the inner front thigh location, in the reverse orientation a shown for FIGS. 1 through 3. These and other design consideration for constructing the clothing 1 are well known to the designer of clothing, and choices will depend on materials, dimensions and the intended use for the clothing.

In reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, in the resting, or first, position of the tourniquet 2 within the clothing, the clothing will be typically provided with a sewn in guide 30 for holding the tourniquet 2 in the desired position around the appendage. The tourniquet 2 passes through the guide 30. In FIG. 4 the guide 30 is in the form of a fabric tunnel 32 attached inside the clothing 1, while if FIG. 5 the guide 30 is provided as loops 34, such as belt loops attached inside the clothing 1. Various other means for guiding and maintaining the tourniquet in its first position are well known to the art.

The band 4 has a width designed to make application of the tourniquet 2 tolerable for a period during which the injured person is transported. The use of a wide elastic bandage does not pinch, and the tourniquet 2 can be applied very tightly, when necessary.

Referring to FIG. 2, it is seen that the band 4 moves from the first position by pulling the first end 6 to tighten the tourniquet around the appendage, and then securing the tourniquet 2 in a second position by placing the hook-type fastener material 16 of the first face 10 against the loop-type fastener material 14 of the second face 12, which is at the secured second end 8, the second position providing tightening of the tourniquet about the appendage sufficient to at least partially decrease blood to the appendage.

A small bit of hook fastener (not shown) may be supplied at the end of the first face adjacent the pull tab 26, to allow the first face to be tacked back against itself and secure the extra tourniquet length when the tourniquet is in its second position.

The garment with affixed tourniquet 1 provides a readily available and easily applied mechanism to decrease blood loss immediately after injury. The tourniquet 2 can be applied rapidly to slow blood loss due to vascular injury, and it is possible to apply the tourniquet 2 with one hand, even by an injured patient, as the band with hook-type fastener material 16 and loop-type fastener material 14 is located conveniently within the uniform. The tourniquet 2 can be adjusted with one hand, as well, such as by releasing and changing position before engaging again with between the first face 10 and second face 12. The release is straightforward and quick, but the hook and loop attachment provides sufficient strength when engaged to allow prolonged soft tissue compression and control of hemorrhage. The tourniquet 2 can be loosened and re-tightened if necessary.

Rapid control of bleeding without induced ischemia is thus provided by incorporating the tourniquet into the battle dress uniform, for immediate availability to soldiers in battle. As a common article of clothing, the uniform with affixed tourniquet 1 could result in decreased mortality, reduced need for transfusion (or the amount thereof), and finally lowers risk of amputation. In the event of trauma to an appendage, the tourniquet 2 can typically be applied within 30 seconds to decrease blood loss.

The simple band 4 allows various levels of control of bleeding, and without causing greater injury. The tourniquet 2 is light in weight, packs down to a very small package, and presents no additional risk from heat, such as the risk of flammability such as is found in rubber tubing tourniquets. Thus, the tourniquet 2 can always be within easy reach and readily deployed.

The tourniquet 2 is also adjustable, in that it is as easy to secure as it is to release, so that quick adjustments can be made, such as for decreasing or increasing the level of tightness, and thus pressure. The ready and simple method of applying the tourniquet 2 permits various levels of pressure, partly due to the use of an elastic form of bandage 4, and as such the blood flow decrease may be partial to substantially complete. The method can be applied to decrease the distal pulse/blood flow a significant amount, by about 50, 60 or 70 percent, or more, as determined by Doppler flow measurements, though the tourniquet 2 should not, however, be so occlusive that ischemia results from total compression blood flow.

Individual one-inch, hook and loop-backed, hard foam discs can be strategically added to the back side of the elastic, by a medic, to enhance the focal pressure over the site or source of blood loss.

While this invention has been described in conjunction with the specific embodiments outlined above, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the preferred embodiments of the invention, as set forth above, are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. 

1. A garment having a tourniquet affixed to said garment, said tourniquet comprising a band comprised of an elastic and flexible material, said band having a width and a length, a first end and a second end, and a first face and second face, wherein said second end is attached to said garment, wherein at least a portion of said first face comprises hook-type fastener means, and wherein at least a portion of said second face comprises loop-type fastener means.
 2. The garment of claim 1 further comprising providing a point for attachment of said second end of said tourniquet to said garment.
 3. The garment of claim 2 wherein said attachment point is provided by hook-type fastener means secured to said garment.
 4. The garment of claim 2 wherein said tourniquet is permanently affixed to said garment at said attachment point.
 5. The garment of claim 4 wherein said tourniquet is affixed by a method selected from the group consisting of stapling, gluing and sewing.
 6. The garment of claim 2 wherein said tourniquet is affixed to said garment at a region corresponding to the lower extremity.
 7. The garment of claim 2 wherein said tourniquet is affixed to said garment at a region corresponding to the upper extremity.
 8. The garment of claim 1 further comprising at least one removable disc selectively secured to said tourniquet situated to apply pressure at a location of sub-surface blood flow.
 9. The garment of claim 2 wherein said tourniquet passes through a series of guide means for holding said tourniquet in encircling position at a desired location at said appendage.
 10. The garment of claim 9 wherein said guide means comprises a fabric tunnel attached inside the garment.
 11. The garment of claim 9 wherein said guide means comprises belt loops attached 2 inside the garment.
 12. The garment of claim 9 wherein said tourniquet is affixed such that said tourniquet encircles an appendage by being extended medially whereby said first end is pulled post-laterally and secured over the anterior aspect of said appendage.
 13. The garment of claim 9 wherein said tourniquet is affixed such that the tourniquet encircles an appendage by being extended laterally such that said first end is pulled posterio-medially and secured over the anterior aspect of said appendage.
 14. A method for impeding blood flow to an appendage by applying a tourniquet of the garment of claim 1, said method comprising extending said first end from a first position to a second position, said second position providing tightening of said tourniquet about said appendage sufficient to control hemorrhage and/or at least partially decrease blood flow to said appendage, and bringing said hook-type fastener means of said first face into contact with said loop-type fastener means of said second face to secure said tourniquet in said second position.
 15. The method of claim 14 wherein said blood flow decrease is partial.
 16. The method of claim 14, wherein said blood flow decrease is significant as assessed by Doppler flow measurement.
 17. The method of claim 14 wherein said blood flow decrease is substantially complete. 